Atheist Activist Plans to Remove ‘In God We Trust’ from US Currency

An atheist activist is planning to file lawsuits claiming the phrase “In God We Trust” on American money is “offensive” and “unlawful.”

“It violates the first ten words of the Bill of Rights (‘Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion’) and it violates the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA),” said Michael Newdow, who is also a lawyer and doctor. “Unfortunately, because Constitutional principles can be twisted and perverted, the challenges to this practice under the Establishment Clause have, so far, failed.”

Newdow wrote a guest post on the Friendly Atheist blog last week, arguing that the Religious Freedom Restoration Act may help atheists challenge the phrase. Under the act, Newdow is claiming that the phrase is a constitutional violation.

“Imagine if Christians had to carry on their body something they disagree with religiously, like ‘Jesus is a lie’ — how long do you think that would stand?” Newdow told website ThinkProgress. “But atheists are so denigrated in this society that people accept this without a second thought.”